4 books like The Farshore Chronicles

Although this technically isn’t a fantasy book, it’s still one of my favorites. Dr. Michael Murphy is a biblical prophecy scholar and archaeologist. A modern-day Indiana Jones with a mysterious and dangerous benefactor who gives him clues to find ancient biblical artifacts while a diabolical cabal is intent on stopping him. A thrilling read that’s hard to put down.

Another thing I like in stories is seeing the characters having a normal family life, other than having one terrifying adventure after another. In this book, princess Essie, and her older brother Averette, who has recently ascended to the throne are trying to establish peace with their elven neighbors. As an opening ploy in negotiations, Essie offers herself for a marriage alliance, one she and her brother are positive the elves will reject. They are surprised when the elven prince Laesornysh, whose name means Death on the Wind accepts their proposal. Now Essie has to get used to living with elves, while the reclusive prince has to get used to an outgoing wife. Both are helped by the support of their families.

Lindsay Buroker is probably my favorite fantasy author, her books are full of fun, quirky characters who even have me reading genres I don’t normally read. In this book, Colonel Ridgewalker Zirkander, a cocky war hero pilot in a world where magic is hated and feared, meets Sardelle Terushan, a sorceress from an earlier era who was preserved in a stasis chamber. Along with her snarky sentient sword Jaxi, Sardell must help Ridge fend off an attack while hiding her magical ability. An ability that would have everyone wanting to kill her. This is the first book of a series featuring adventures of Ridge, Sardell, Jaxi, and Ridge’s squadron of young goofy pilots.

I was 9 years old when I read this title for the first time—which is not to say the John Carter series is suitable for that age group. In 1959, I was given a junior bookworm card for the library at Union Church, Metro Manila, Philippines, where I discovered a lot of material I was too young to read.

Burroughs was a man of his times—scholar, cowboy, rancher, drifter, would-be soldier—a young adult at the turn of the 19th century when every house on every street was occupied by durable, resilient people. That was his reality. It shows in the work.

In 1866, a U.S. Army captain is mysteriously transported into conflict on the planet Mars. Airships, monsters, warring clans, beautiful women, giant doglike creatures. You name it, Mars has it. Preposterous, right? I took another read just to see and suspended disbelief right away. There’s that Magical Realism act… show more.